Blog

Share Your Journey: Connect With Others Through Your Mother Loss Story. In these blogs, we weave together the diverse tapestry of experiences surrounding mother loss. Whether you've navigated this path through different circumstances, rest assured, someone has bravely penned their narrative to resonate and connect with you.

Dive into these heartfelt blogs. Each story is a thread in the fabric of shared experiences, a testament to the strength and resilience that unites us. Allow these words to resonate, to reach into the depths of your emotions, and find solace in the shared journey of mother loss.

Daughters Without Mothers


The Podcast Team | March 15, 2024

Motherless Daughters Minstry’s podcast administrator, Sarah Lynn Wells, interviews Maryann Rousseau. Maryann has started a new platform, Daughters Without Mothers, . . . Read More

Stories My Mom Shared with Me


The Podcast Team | March 1, 2024

Memories that bring a smile to your face are great tools to help through the grief journey. The path has . . . Read More

Christmas Hope


Sarah Lynn Wells | December 22, 2023

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, this episode is focused on gratitude. Both God’s Word and psychology point to the significant . . . Read More

When the Holidays Are Bittersweet


Sarah Lynn Wells | December 8, 2023

There’s such a pressure to enjoy and be happy during the holiday season. But, for a motherless daughter, it can . . . Read More

Voices of Volunteers-Part 4


Sarah Lynn Wells | November 10, 2023

The fourth episode of a series highlighting Motherless Daughters Ministry volunteers. MDM podcast administrator, Sarah Lynn Wells, interviews volunteers to . . . Read More

Voices of Volunteers - #3


The Podcast Team | September 29, 2023

The Motherless Daughters Ministry is fortunate to have a team of great volunteers. This new series highlights MDM podcast administrator, . . . Read More

Finding Home


Sarah Accoridino | August 2, 2023

On December 18, 1997 my mother, a mother of 5 children including myself, was driving home when someone ran a . . . Read More

Survival Mode


C.A.Bleu | April 26, 2023

Struggling through survival mode? Through our suffering we grow and learn to identify our strengths. We just don’t see it . . . Read More

You Will be Healed, it's Only a Matter of Time


Sarah Lynn Wells | April 5, 2023

Since sharing my last post, I have sat down numerous times to write again but have suffered from writer’s block. . . . Read More

What Did I Do?


Elyse Kehe | March 15, 2023

Since my mother passed away nearly 17 years ago, I have become quite a connoisseur of “self-help” methods. I was, . . . Read More

Create a Family Thanksgiving: Starting a New Tradition in the Face of Loss


Mary Ellen Collins | November 23, 2022

I want to talk to you about celebrating holidays. And really what we have to do as motherless daughters is . . . Read More

Broken and Remade


C.A.Bleu | October 26, 2022

I recently listened to a devotional called ‘Killing Comparison with Nona Jones’ on the Holy Bible app. Something about the . . . Read More

Our True Comforter


Sara Lynn Wells | September 21, 2022

Lightning flashed as I jolted awake to an all too familiar scene of my little boy standing by the bed . . . Read More

A Second Chance:


Janna | July 27, 2022

My Journey Through Physical and Emotional Mother Loss New beginnings  Exchanging marriage vows with my husband was by far the . . . Read More

27 Mothers Days Without my mom


Dr. Jane Richardson | July 13, 2022

She was the definition of kindness and generosity.  She was the premier example of good manners and a gracious heart.  . . . Read More

To Be OK or Not To Be


Lovely Marie | July 6, 2022

 I’m keenly aware of the pain that comes with Mother’s Day. It’s not the pain of not having children nor . . . Read More

The Phone Call That Changed My Life


Gladys Bell | June 17, 2022

We remember, in detail, those moments that changed our lives. When triggered, those feelings and emotions wash over us like . . . Read More

Leave-taking


Christine Fishel | May 25, 2022

My mom wore satiny nightgowns: pale blue, light pink, sometimes yellow. They were sleeveless or cap-sleeved, decorated at the bodice . . . Read More

Is Mother's Day Difficult for You?


Mershon Niesner | May 7, 2022

Join one of our blog writers and her friend who is another motherless daughter & author as they share stories . . . Read More

Sudden Loss, Anticipated Loss, and Non-death Loss: What’s the Difference?


Mary Ellen Collins | March 9, 2022

Mother loss binds us all together. Mother loss is the commonality but there are differences. There is no one loss . . . Read More

What Really Happens Inside a Motherless Daughters Class?


Maya | April 18, 2021

Can 6 Weeks Really Make A Difference?  I felt like I was holding in a lifetime of pain, a dark . . . Read More

Sharing stories of a Mother's last words


Mershon Niesner | January 24, 2021

On the morning I learned that my thirty-four-year-old mother had died, May 24, 1954, my dad also shared with me her . . . Read More

When Missing Consumes


December 27, 2020

By Maya (Guest writer) Adopted twice. Still motherless. I’ve felt the agony of not knowing who I was. Of not . . . Read More

Choosing Vulnerability


December 13, 2020

by Maya (Guest writer) Growing up, my adoptive mom believed you should never pick up a crying baby. The thought . . . Read More

The Healing Power of Friendship


November 22, 2020

by Dottie Menkhaus On the anniversary of my mother’s death, Ann* came over to teach me how to cook. We . . . Read More

A Friend Remembered


November 1, 2020

by Dottie Menkhaus We all tend to live our lives never knowing how we impact and influence others around us. . . . Read More

Power of Prayer


Danielle Ilacqua | August 23, 2020

Patience doesn’t just land on your lap because you pray for it. God allows a situation to manifest in your . . . Read More

Viral Grief


Dottie Menkhaus | July 19, 2020

Living through the coronavirus pandemic among pieces of our shattered world has been difficult and exhausting. I have often struggled . . . Read More

The Hidden Volcano


Dottie Menkhaus | June 28, 2020

One day, a small lump appeared in the middle of the living room carpet. It was about the size of . . . Read More

10 Things I Am Doing To Occupy Myself During My Self-Quarantine


Mary Ellen Collins | April 5, 2020

I am hunkering down. When I heard that the elderly were in the high risk group (elderly being 60+) I . . . Read More

The Comfort of a Mother


March 22, 2020

by Dottie Menkhaus During this time of global crisis of the Corona virus pandemic, it feels like the world is . . . Read More

The Best Seat in the House


February 23, 2020

by Dottie Menkhaus My mother passed away when I was 16, and consequently she has missed all of my achievements . . . Read More

Empty Chairs


December 23, 2019

by Dottie Menkhaus The holiday season is a time to gather together family and friends. It is a joyous time . . . Read More

The Last Goodbye


December 1, 2019

by Dottie Menkhaus Few things are more heart-wrenching than saying that last goodbye to a loved one. My last goodbye . . . Read More

The Stories My Mom Shared With Me


November 24, 2019

by Julie Thompson My mom retired after 35 years of being an elementary teacher. As she was ending her teaching . . . Read More

55 Years Without a Mother


October 20, 2019

Fifty-five years. Double nickels. This event fifty-five years ago set me on the course to my destination, the Motherless Daughters . . . Read More

Path


Marisa Saenz | September 1, 2019

What happens to you when life takes a turn for the worse? I, personally, get emotional. Most of the time, . . . Read More

Mirror Image


Dottie Menkhaus | August 25, 2019

Occasionally I will take a moment and stare at myself in a mirror and smile. It has nothing to do . . . Read More

The Fear of Loss


June 10, 2019

By Dottie Jo Menkhaus In my journey as a motherless daughter, I have battled the fear of loss many times. . . . Read More

A Mother's Gentle Wisdom


June 2, 2019

By Dottie Menkhaus Certain days of the year— such as birthdays, anniversaries, and Mother’s Day—are difficult after the loss of . . . Read More

The Voice That I Miss The Most


March 31, 2019

By: Julie Thompson It’s been 10 years since I’ve heard her voice. A voice that consistently spoke words of love . . . Read More

Butterfly


March 3, 2019

By: Beth Corbley (Guest Blogger) “I MADE MY FAVORITE THING FOR DINNER TONIGHT … A RESERVATION.” SALLY ANN CORBLEY, AKA, . . . Read More

Christmas Hope


December 9, 2018

By: Cathy DiBella To all my Motherless Daughters Ministry sisters, As we enter the Christmas season once again, I wanted . . . Read More

A Difficult Opportunity


October 28, 2018

By: Heather Wolper My doorbell rang on Friday. I had sick kids at home and I was still wearing the . . . Read More

You Were There


October 7, 2018

By: Julie Thompson You were there at the beginning from my very first breath when my eyes opened to see . . . Read More

When Life is Hard and Your Mom is Gone


July 8, 2018

By: Heather Wolper My mom has been gone almost 20 years now. It’s been almost half of my lifetime. I . . . Read More

Finding Sabbath


June 17, 2018

By: Heather Wolper This has been a year of faith stretching, a year of wandering in the wilderness, a year . . . Read More

Here It Comes...Mother's Day


May 9, 2018

By: Mary Ellen Collins GET READY… Here is comes again!  18 ways to get through Mother’s Day! Here it comes again, . . . Read More

Scraping Away The Rust


April 8, 2018

By: Heather Wolper This week I’ve felt the weight of disappointment tugging like a toddler eager for my attention, standing . . . Read More

Year One In Heaven


March 4, 2018

By: Danielle Ilacqua (Guest Blogger) Last year at 1:17 a.m., instead of surfing social media, I sat in a hospital watching . . . Read More

Finding Hope In Seasons of Waiting


Heather Wolper | January 28, 2018

Are you in a season of waiting? We’ve all been there. Between us, we’ve waited for jobs, spouses and places . . . Read More

Your Age of Mother Loss And Its Effects


December 27, 2017

Over the years, the Motherless Daughters Ministry has supported thousands of women on their mother loss journeys. Although our stories . . . Read More

The Gift of Gratitude


December 3, 2017

By: Heather Wolper The other day I sat at a red light on my way to the grocery store. As . . . Read More

The Day Our Family Experienced A Miracle


November 5, 2017

By: Heather Wolper Last Saturday, after cartoons and breakfast around our kitchen island, my husband found our sweet, ornery, six-year-old . . . Read More

Help For The Weary


October 8, 2017

By: Heather Wolper Sometimes life hits like a flood, covering land that was fertile and green with deep muddy water. . . . Read More

When Guilt Sets In


October 1, 2017

By: Amanda Loduca (Guest Blogger) Everyone who’s lost a mother has a different story to tell. Many are quick to . . . Read More

Growing Through Change


Heather Wolper | September 3, 2017

Summer, with all its lazy wonder and time spent creek wading and cannonballing, is over. And here we are trying . . . Read More

Getting Through the Neon Year


Mary Ellen Collins | August 27, 2017

I have a friend named Kim who just celebrated her 52nd birthday. She is happy and she is scared. This . . . Read More

Resting


Danielle Ilacqua | July 30, 2017

I have found that after a life altering experience, a game changer so to speak, i.e. the death of someone . . . Read More

Why A Diagnosis Brings Relief


July 16, 2017

By: Christine Fishel My mom received a definitive diagnosis last week. My sister drove us the two-hour drive to mom’s appointment . . . Read More

What's Your Chicken Noodle Soup?


July 2, 2017

By: Danielle Ilacqua (Guest Blogger) I stood in front of the freezer and had another meltdown. The tears streamed down . . . Read More

If You're Losing Your Mom To Dementia...


June 18, 2017

By: Christine Fishel If you are losing your mother to the horror of dementia, let me recommend a book I . . . Read More

Respite


Heather Wolper | June 11, 2017

When my mom was sick, dear friends offered our family an escape from the harsh reality of cancer by the . . . Read More

Seeing in Black and White


June 4, 2017

By: Danielle Ilacqua (Guest Blogger) Feeling like I have the scarlet letter “G” on my chest, I push forward in this . . . Read More

God Sees Your Tears


May 11, 2017

By: Danielle Ilacqua (Guest Blogger) As Mother’s Day approaches and I see hundreds of commercials for flowers or cards, I just shrink . . . Read More

What Do You Do When God Says, "No?"


May 7, 2017

By: Danielle Ilacqua (Guest Blogger) Let’s face it, none of us are going to get out of this life alive. . . . Read More

Soup Kettle Memories


March 29, 2017

By: Heather Wolper Today, I pulled my mother’s steel soup kettle from deep within my kitchen cabinets and prepared to . . . Read More

Daring to Commit


February 26, 2017

By: Mary Ellen Collins “People become great when they commit to something bigger than themselves” ~ Rick Warren I consider Rick . . . Read More

Leaving Room For Spilled Milk


February 8, 2017

By: Heather Wolper This morning as I was upstairs making my bed, I heard cries from downstairs, “Oh, No!! Mom! . . . Read More

Finding Grace


January 8, 2017

By: Heather Wolper “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18 These . . . Read More

Beauty From Ashes


December 28, 2016

By: Heather Wolper (Guest Blogger) As another year draws to a close, I pause. Another 12 months have come and . . . Read More

The 60's: Losing a Mother and Losing a Child


December 21, 2016

By: Mary Ellen Collins When a 60’s woman loses her mother, we see this as a normal life transition. “After . . . Read More

Mother Loss - The 50's: A Time of Transition, Change, and Loss


November 20, 2016

By: Mary Ellen Collins During the 50’s, the key words for women to embrace are transition and change. Everything in her . . . Read More

Picture


November 13, 2016

By: Heather Wolper (Guest Blogger) A picture of my parents sits on a table in our entry hall among family . . . Read More

Mother Loss and Age of Emotional Development: The 40's – Loneliness, Regret, Loss of Identity


October 23, 2016

By: Mary Ellen Collins Women who have experienced mother loss in the 40’s have often expressed emotions connected to the . . . Read More

Waves of Grief


October 16, 2016

By: Heather Wolper (Guest Blogger) I am in dark, choppy water and I can’t feel the bottom or see the shore. . . . Read More

Mother Loss in the 30's - Guilt & Regret


Mary Ellen Collins | September 25, 2016

I apologize for the gap in writing about mother loss and stage of emotional development. I am back from a . . . Read More

What's Going On In Her Mind


August 28, 2016

By: Kris Fisher Last night, my friend lost her mom. She held a vigil at her mother’s bedside for 9 . . . Read More

What It Means to Travel Through Grief


August 24, 2016

By: Amanda Black (Guest Blogger) It’s been two and half months since I left home after my mom died. I . . . Read More

Grieving For Summer


August 21, 2016

By: Heather Wolper (Guest Blogger) Every year I grieve a bit as Summer comes to a close. I grieve the . . . Read More

I'm Losing My Mother


August 10, 2016

By: Kris Fisher I feel like I finally have a relationship with my mother and now I’m losing her. Already.   Again.  . . . Read More

Growing Gardenias


July 10, 2016

By: Heather Wolper (Guest Blogger) Last night as I left the grocery, holding a sleeping baby in one arm and pushing . . . Read More

Stages of Emotional Development & Age of Loss: 20's


May 15, 2016

By: Mary Ellen Collins “I felt like a ship set adrift, lost, without a way to steer and I could . . . Read More

Holding Onto Her


May 11, 2016

By: Christine Fishel It’s been five yeas since Janet lost her mom. She remembers the date each year, just as . . . Read More

18 Ways to Get Through Mother's Day


May 4, 2016

By: Mary Ellen Collins GET READY… Here is comes again!  18 ways to get through Mother’s Day! Here it comes . . . Read More

The Individuation Process


April 24, 2016

By: Mary Ellen Collins “Growing up is hard to do,” but that doesn’t really begin to capture the struggle many . . . Read More

Stages of Emotional Development and Age of Loss: 13-18 year olds


March 28, 2016

By: Mary Ellen Collins “Who AM I?”  “How Do I Fit?” During adolescence the transition from childhood to adulthood is . . . Read More

Stages of Emotional Development and Age of Loss: 6-12 year olds


Mary Ellen Collins | March 9, 2016

We introduced you to the Stages of Emotional Development and Mother loss in an earlier blog . Basically, the concept is: . . . Read More

Age of Loss 0-6 yrs. old


Mary Ellen Collins | February 17, 2016

We introduced you to the Stages of Emotional Development and Mother loss in an earlier blog. Basically, the concept is: . . . Read More

The Age of Mother Loss and Stages of Emotional Development


Mary Ellen Collins | January 21, 2016

In the Motherless Daughters Journey class, we facilitate an exercise called “What was it like?” The goal of the exercise . . . Read More

Time is a Gift


Julie Thompson | December 13, 2015

For some people, the perfect night involves getting all dressed up and then going out to a party. For me, . . . Read More

I Want My Mom


Cindy Stepanek | November 16, 2015

I have often written about my mom’s emotional absence, but this is the time of year she turned into the . . . Read More

To Be Like a Child


October 25, 2015

By: Mary Ellen Collins My friend Missy has twin boys — Andrew and Emmett.  Both are precious with very different . . . Read More

I am a Motherless Daughter: Living Mother


Anonymous | September 30, 2015

I am a motherless daughter, but it’s hard for me to define myself this way. Maybe mothered-less is a better . . . Read More

I am a Motherless Daughter: Double Loss


Cindy Stepanek | September 27, 2015

  I am a motherless daughter; my story is of a double loss. I physically lost my mom to poorly . . . Read More

I am a Motherless Daughter: Early Loss


Mary Ellen Collins | September 23, 2015

I am a motherless daughter. I lost my mother to breast cancer back in the 1960’s. Her loss is engraved . . . Read More

Who is a Motherless Daughter?


September 20, 2015

By: Mary Ellen Collins When I talk about the Motherless Daughters Ministry, people often ask who is a motherless daughter? . . . Read More

Mother's Day


Cindy Stepanek | May 8, 2015

Mother’s Day has always been a conundrum for me. Growing up, my relationship with my mom was always a bit . . . Read More